1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a user authentication technique for a printer and, more specifically, to an authentication technique that can simplify works necessary when the printer position is changed, personnel allocation is changed, or a new printer is installed.
2. Description of the Background Art
Conventionally used copy machines come to be increasingly replaced with multifunctional printers (hereinafter referred to as “MFP”) having, thanks to recent technical developments, a scanner function, a facsimile function and the like in addition to the printing function.
Particularly, in an organization such as a company or school, an MFP is shared by users. Often the users permitted to use the MFP are limited on a department-by-department basis. Without such restriction, departmental expense control would be meaningless. User restriction, however, must be done efficiently.
An MFP system as a solution to this problem is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2007-156786 (hereinafter referred to as “'786 application”). In the MFP system, user authentication is done by using a so-called IC (Integrated Circuit) card and a password. According to this technique, an IC (Integrated Circuit) card that stores a key number is given to each person who uses the MFP. Each MFP in the system has the key number and associated information of each person who uses the MFP registered therein. When a user holds the IC card over a card reader of the MFP, MFP asks a password. When the user inputs the password in response to the request, authentication takes place. The user is permitted to use the MFP only when the information (key number and password) input by the user matches the information in the MFP system.
If the user restriction of the printer is realized on a department-by-department basis by the system disclosed in '786 application, departmental expense control can reliably be effected.
The system, however, has the following problem. An MFP or the entire system may be moved to a different department, or a new MFP may be installed. In the system disclosed in '786 application, it is necessary in such a situation to newly register the key number and password information of each and every user permitted to use the MFP. If a new user is added, the same piece of information must be added to all MFPs. Such registration requires time and labor.
Without such registration, a person who should naturally be permitted to use the MFP cannot use the MFP. This may greatly influences business progress.
Such a problem commonly arises not only in the multifunctional printer described above but in general image processing apparatuses.